I love taking photographs.
That probably sounds obvious, coming from a photographer, but it’s still worth saying.
Photography started for me as a hobby in my early twenties. I was not thinking about clients, websites, branding, press coverage or whether anyone needed a new LinkedIn photo.
I just loved making pictures.
That feeling has never really left.
Even now, when photography is part of my work, the best images still give me the same little hit of excitement. The light lands in the right place. Someone forgets about the camera for a second. A scene comes together. A moment happens.
And there it is.
Looking back through my photographs from 2021, I realised how varied the year had been.
There were portraits, events, commercial shoots, local business stories, drone images, live music and even a Royal visit. Not a bad mix, really.
Inspired by the old Instagram Top Nine trend, here are nine of my favourite photographs from 2021, and why they still stand out to me.
Jamie Cullum
One of the more surreal assignments of the year took me to a Christmas tree farm to photograph behind-the-scenes content during the filming of a music video.
The artist was Jamie Cullum. The song was Winter Wonderland. The weather was, naturally, awful.
There was constant rain, which made the attempt to spray trees with fake snow feel both heroic and slightly doomed.
But that’s often where the interesting pictures happen.
Behind-the-scenes photography is not about making everything look perfect. It is about showing the work, the people, the patience and the slightly odd details that go into creating something polished.
Seeing a professional artist and production team at work was fascinating. My favourite image from the night captures a small moment within the bigger machine.
Not the final music video. Not the finished performance.
The bit around the edges.
That is often where the story lives.
HRH The Countess of Wessex
Photographing a Royal visit was a very different experience.
HRH The Countess of Wessex visited The Meath Charity at its Changing Perceptions café in Godalming, and I was there to capture the visit for the charity.
Everything was run with military precision.
There were strict rules, fixed positions, clear timings and a proper sense that you really did not want to be the person standing in the wrong place at the wrong moment.
No pressure, then.
All of the images also had to be checked before publication, which added another layer to the process.
What I remember most is the importance of being ready.
With this kind of work, you cannot ask people to repeat a moment. You cannot interrupt. You cannot wander around looking for a better angle because it might suit your portfolio.
You have to understand the brief, respect the setting and get the photographs quietly.
That is a useful discipline.
Knowle Park from the air
In 2021, I added a drone to my photography kit.
The DJI Mavic Air 2 opened up a completely different way of seeing familiar places. After completing the required training and sorting the insurance for commercial flights, I started exploring what aerial photography could add to my work.
One of my favourite images from the year was taken over Knowle Park.
I know the park well from the ground. I have walked it countless times, watched it change through the seasons and seen the work that goes into shaping the landscape.
But seeing it from 400 feet in the air was completely different.
The paths, trees, water and open space suddenly made sense as a wider picture.
That is what drone photography can do well. It gives context.
It shows scale.
It lets people understand a place in a way they often cannot from eye level.
Manchester in golden light
During a family holiday in the Peak District, I took plenty of photographs.
There were hills, landscapes, caves and all the usual opportunities that come with carrying a camera almost everywhere, which my family have learned to tolerate with impressive patience.
One of my favourite images from that trip was not deep in the hills, though.
It was a view of Manchester, caught in golden light.
There is something wonderful about seeing a city from a distance. The shapes, layers and light do all the work.
It reminded me that not every favourite photograph has to come from a planned shoot.
Sometimes it is simply a case of noticing what is in front of you and being ready.
Banjo in the Holler
Banjo in the Holler was exactly as good as it sounds.
Bluegrass music, the Surrey Hills, people gathered outdoors, instruments everywhere and a lovely sense of escape after a strange couple of years.
It was one of those events where the atmosphere mattered as much as the performance.
Music photography is about more than photographing musicians. It is about rhythm, hands, faces, concentration, movement and the relationship between performers and audience.
My favourite frame from the festival has all of that energy.
It takes me straight back there.
That is one of the best things photography can do.
Paddleboarding on the River Wey
My children are well used to me carrying a camera everywhere.
I am not sure they always love it, but they have accepted it as one of my more predictable personality traits.
A stand up paddleboarding safari on the River Wey gave me another excuse to bring the camera along.
It also gave me a very sensible reason not to paddleboard myself, because my balance is poor and my relationship with water is best described as cautious.
The images from that day are personal favourites.
They are not commercial. They are not polished brand images. They are simply part of family life.
A reminder that photographs do not always need to serve a marketing purpose.
Sometimes they just need to hold a memory still.
Rosanna Clare
Throughout 2021, I worked on videos and photography for Destination Cranleigh, telling the stories of local independent businesses.
One of those sessions took me to Smithbrook Kilns to meet Rosanna from Rosanna Clare Leather Workshops.
Her studio was a joy to photograph.
There was great natural light, tools, textures, materials and all the lovely signs of someone making things by hand.
Creative workspaces have a very particular feel. They are full of details that say something about the person before you even photograph their face.
That is what I enjoyed most about this shoot.
It was not just a portrait. It was a story of craft, place and personality.
Invotra
One of my favourite commercial shoots of the year was with Invotra, following their move to new offices in Woking.
The brief was to create a library of images the team could use across future digital and print marketing.
That kind of shoot is always satisfying because the photographs have a clear purpose.
Rather than producing one or two standalone images, we created a full set of useful content. Team members in different spaces. Working shots. Portraits. Details. Images that could support the business for months.
A good branding shoot should do that.
It should give a business a bank of photographs that feel consistent, human and useful.
Not stiff stock images.
Not awkward handshakes.
Actual people, in real spaces, looking like they belong there.
Roger Coupe
Last, but definitely not least, is a portrait of local legend Roger Coupe.
I have taken a lot of portraits this year, from business headshots to editorial-style images, family photographs and personal branding sessions.
This one stands out because it feels like Roger.
That is always the goal.
A good portrait is not about making someone look artificially perfect. It is about making an image that feels honest, recognisable and full of character.
There is a real skill in helping someone feel comfortable enough to be themselves in front of the camera.
When that happens, the photograph has far more value than a technically tidy headshot.
It becomes something worth keeping.
Looking back
When I look through these nine photographs, what strikes me most is the variety.
A musician on a wet Christmas tree farm.
A Royal visit.
A park from the sky.
A city in golden light.
Bluegrass in the Surrey Hills.
A family day on the river.
A creative studio.
A business team in new offices.
A portrait of someone with real local character.
Different subjects. Different settings. Different reasons for taking the photograph.
But the same thread runs through all of them.
They each tell a story.
That is what keeps me interested in photography.
Not just making something look good, although that certainly matters.
It is the chance to notice people, places and moments properly.
As we head towards another year, it is worth asking what stories your photographs are telling.
Do your business images still feel like you?
Does your website show the people behind the work?
Do your portraits help others trust you before they have even met you?
And are you making time to capture the moments that matter before they disappear?
If you need photographs that tell your story properly, I would be very happy to help.
